UAlbany Womens Basketball Upends Detroit, 62-49, In Non-Conference Matchup

Albany, N.Y. – Janea Aiken had 19 points and Tiffanie Johnson added 13 in leading the University at Albany women’s basketball team to its first win of the season in a 62-49 victory over Detroit on Monday evening at SEFCU Arena.

UAlbany (1-6) snapped a 35-35 deadlock in the second half with a 16-4 run. Aiken made one of her career-best five three-pointers to break the tie. Johnson canned a pair of long-range jumpers in that stretch, including a three-point field goal from the right wing for a 51-39 advantage.

Still leading 54-46 with less than four minutes remaining, the Great Danes put the game away by running off six straight markers. Charity Iromuanya, who had eight points, a career-high 11 rebounds and six assists, made a pair of free throws before Aiken sank a 16-footer that beat the shot clock.

Detroit (2-4), which stunned No. 23 nationally-ranked Georgia in its home opener earlier this year, led 24-22 at halftime in a sloppy opening period that featured four ties and three lead changes. The Titans, who shot 52 percent from the field and committed 16 turnovers in the half, held a 15-12 lead after Sandi Brown made a pair of free throws.

The Great Danes, who managed just 34-percent shooting in the stanza, regrouped to take a 20-17 advantage. Johnson hit a turnaround in the lane and Britney McGee canned a 3-pointer from the left wing. Brown put her team back in front three minutes later with a jumper in the lane, and the Titans carried a 24-22 lead at halftime.

“We are now finding our identity as a team,” said McGee. “Hopefully December will be our month.”

In addition to Iromuanya, freshman Tabitha Makopondo finished with six points, five rebounds and two steals which were all career highs. Detroit was led by Brown’s 14 points and three steals as well as Lauren Allen’s 12 points and six rebounds.

“Sometimes when (you are on a losing streak), your confidence goes down,” said head coach Trina Patterson. “However, we came out really loose in the second half and played with a lot more confidence to get the monkey off our back.”

UAlbany will play its third game in five days when it travels to West Point for a 7 p.m. game at Army